Automatic fire-extinguisher



B. F. MAYO.

AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAYH. 1916.

1,323,893. Patented Dec. 2,1919.

ct-snap stances ra rnnr onnron BENJAMIN F. MAYO,OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB, 0F ONE HAL'F T0 JAMES A.

BRCGAN, OF LAVJBENGE, MASSACl-IUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

T0 all whom it mag concern: I I

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. MAYO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Automatic Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to fire extinguishers of the type commonly known as automatic sprinklers or sprinkler heads. An object of the invention is to provide'a device of this character the parts of which may be easily made and readily assembled. More specifically, an object is toprovide in such a de vice a simple organizationof valve controlling instrumentalities so constructed and arranged as to avoid accidental release of the valve while insuring its prompt release in the proximity of fire.

To the above and other ends, an important feature of the invention consists in valve controlling means comprising a pair of cooperating levers and an intermediate member constructed to provide fulcrunis for the levers, to which the levers are connected by 7 heat responsive means to hold them nor- 'mallyin valve retaining position. In the construction illustrated by way of example, a rigid bar extends over the valve to OlQPOT site sides of the device and is formed cen-- trally to provide fulcrums for relatively short levers one of which acts upon the valve while the other bears upon an abutment over the valve, and fusible members connect the bar at its outer ends to the outer ends of therespective levers. The fulcrums are so arranged relatively to the valve and the abutment that the intermediate por tion of the bar forms a toggle with the inner end portion of each lever, the knee jointsof the togglesbeing offsetrespectively toward opposite sides, of the device, Pressure between the valve and the abutment thus tends to operate'the toggles and cause separation between the outer ends of the bar and the outer ends of the respective upon either one of the fusibleconnecting members.

, Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Application filed May 17, 1916; Serial No. 98,190.

The device illustrated as an embodimentof the invention presents certain features that are claimed in my prior Patent No. 1203228, granted October 31, 1916, and in one aspect "this invention provides an im' provement upon the form of device shown in my prior patent. r v

The novel features of the invention, in-

Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

eluding-certain details of constructionand combinations of parts, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims. 5

The drawing shows a device in which the invention is embodied in operative position on a water supply conduit, portions of the device 1 being shown in elevation and por tionsin vertical section.

A water supply pipe is shown at 2, and threaded in the top ofthe pipe is a nozzle ladapted to serve as an outlet from the pipe. The nozzle outlet is normally closed, as shown, by a cap valve 6 which is seated upon a washer 8 on the end of the nozzle, the washer being provided in order to insure against leakage. Integral with the nozzle 4 is a yoke 10 which curves over the valve from oppositesides of the nozzle substantially as in the device shown in my earlier patent. The yoke 10 is provided with a bore in line with the axis of the nozzle, and threaded in the bore is a screw 12 in positionto serve as an abutment be;

tween which and the valve 6 are arranged valve retaining members presently to be described. The screw 12 serves also as positioning means for a deflector 14 the purpose of which'is to deflect or spray invarious directions water that, issues from the nozzle l upon the release of the valve;

Extending through the yoke 10 between the valve 6 and the abutment screw 12 is a bar 16 which has midway of its length on opposite sides projections 18 and 20 which serve as fulcrums for relatively short levers 22 and 24 arranged in divergent relation to the bar and to bear respectively upon the valve 6 and upon the abutment 12, the pro jections in recesses in the levers to cause the bar and the levers to interlock against relative sliding movement length wise. In the construction shown the projections 18 and 20 are'substantially at right angles to the bar 16 and the bar is inclined to the line of pressure between the bearing points of the respective levers 22 and 24 valve and the screw 12 is in line with the axis, or longitudinal central line, of the outi let, it follows that the fulcrums 18 and, 20

are offset relatively to the axis of the outlet toward opposite sides of the device. The

bar 16 thus constitutes a lever, which may be considered as fulcrumed upon either of thelevers22 or 24, with arms extend ng outward ,onfopposite sidesjot thebdevice, and

, th'eintermediate portion of the bar coeperates with 'the'inner 'end portion ofeach of the levers 22' and24 to form a toggle the kneejoint of which, represented by the bearing of the fulcruml8 or 201011 the re- I spective lever, is at one side of the line of pressure, between the valve and the abutment. Pressure of the valve upon the lever 22, or of the screw 12' upon the lever 24,

thustends to operate both togglesan'd to separate the outer ends of both pairs of lever arms.

In order to hold the several levers against separation and thus retain the valve norinally in closed position, while permitting its release n the presence offire, the 116N166 is provided with heat responsive connections 26 and'28 between the respective lever H These connections, in the constr-uce tion shown, constitute what may be described as fusible links, comprising metal, plates having opposed serrated faces united by solder, thelink 26 connecting one end of the bar or lever 16 to the outer end of the lever 22 and the link 28 connecting the other end of the bar 16 to the end of the lever 24. "The links have openings, as shown, to receive the ends of the lever arms, and the arms are formed with suitable depressions to assistinretaining the links in position.

The device as thus constructed has the same important advantage as the device shown in my earlier patent, that it is equally sensitive to the proximity of heat on either side, and the improved device moreover comprises relatively few parts which are simple inform and maybe readily' assembled. The links:26 and'28 and the V levers 22-a'nd 24 maybe duplicates of each 7 may be in the length of different links and other,' as shown. It willbe apparent, moreover, that since, the links {are loosely connected tothe lever arms in every instance, the levers 22 and 24 may readily assume dif- I ferent' angular relations to the bar 16 in accordance with any differences that there all the partscomprising the bar, theshort levers. and the links areleftfree to separate fromone another upon the fusing of the solder in either one of thelinks.

WVith' the parts of the device assembled as shown and the screw 12 tightened suflithe valve will be :retained efieotually in closed position until such time as the solder in one of the links 26 or 28 may melt under the action of heat, when the valve will be inplay upon thevfire. 'Since the. bar 1'6 'ex tends rigidly from side toside of the device, I it contributes effectually to insure .ciently to close the valve 6 against leakage,

stantly releas'edand'the water permitted. to

against accidental displa'eement' of the parts. 1 I 1 V 1 It 'willbe apparent that the construction of the links 26 and 28, the angular relation of the bar 16 to the axis of the outlet and the relation of the fulcrums 18 vand V 20 to the bar 16, as well as numerous other details of construction, may be variously modified consistently with the essential features of operation of the device.

Having described the invention, what I 2 claim as n e r to secure by Letters Patent f the United States is l '1. In a deviceof the class described, the

combination with means providing anoutlet for fluid anda valvefor the outlet, of 7 an abutment over the valve, 'a pair of levers, one acting upon the valve and the other bearing against the abutment, an intermediate memberabetween said levers constructed to provide fulcrums-for saidlevers at fixed distances from the ends ofisaid member and located respectively at opposite s V sidesof the lineof pressure betweenjthe valve and the abutment, and independently fusible links forming connections respec-' t'ively between said intermediate member and different leversof said pair to hold the levers normally in valve retaining position,

said links being so connected to the levers as to permit both levers to be separated from said intermediate member upon the fusing V i of onefiof the links. I j 2. Ina device'of theclass described, the

iio

combinationlwithmeans providing an out letfor fluid and ,a valve for the outlet, of

an abutmentoverthe valve, a pair of levers,-

one acting upon the valVe and the other bearlng against the abutment, saidv levers 'e xtending outward respectively at opposite 7 7 sides of the device, a bar extendingbetween' the levers to opposite'isides of thedevicei nd h g means providing fulcrumso for said levers, said bar and the levers being constructed to interlock at the fulcrum points to prevent relative lengthwise sliding movement of the bar'and the levers, and

heat responsive means connecting the levers to said to hold the. levers and the bar normally in valve retaining position.

. 3. In a device of the class described, the' combination with a fluid outlet nozzleand a valve for, the nozzle, of an abutment: oven the valve, a pair of levers, one acting upon the valve and the other bearing against the abutment, said levers extending outward respectively at opposite sides of the device, a third lever extending between the levers of said pair to hold said levers apart, the three levers being Constructed to fulcrum one upon another at fixed distances from the ends of said third lever and to extend outward from their fulcrum points in openly spaced relation, and independently fusible members forming connections respectively between opposite ends of said intermediate lever and different levers of said pair to hold the several levers normally against separation, said members being so connected to the levers as to permit all the levers to separate from one another upon the fusing of one of the members.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with means providing an outlet for fluid and a valve for the outlet, of an abutment over the valve, a pair of levers, one acting upon the valve and the other bearing against the abutment, an intermediate member between said levers constructed and arranged to interlock with the levers and to cooperate with the levers to form a pair of toggles with their knee joints positioned respectively on opposite sides of the line of pressure between the valve and the abutment, said member and the levers extending outwardly from their toggle portions in openly spaced relation, and an independently fusible connection between each of said pair of levers and said intermediate member for holding the levers and said member normally in valve retaining position.

5. In a device of the class described, the combinationwith means providing an outlet for fluid and a valve for the outlet, of an abutment over the valve, a pair of levers extending outward respectively at opposite sides of the device and arranged to act respectively upon the valve and upon the abutment, a bar extending over the valve between said levers with projections on its opposite sides constructed to provide fulcrums for the levers, said bar being inclined in such relation to the levers as to cause said projections to form toggles with the inner.

end portions of the respective levers, and heat responsive means connecting the levers to the bar to hold the levers and the bar normally in valve retaining position.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with means providing an outlet for fluid and a valve for theoutlet, of an abutment over the valve, a pair of levers extending outward respectively on different sides of the device and arranged to act respectively upon the valve and upon the abutment, a bar extending over the valve between the levers with its intermediate portion constructed to provide fulcrums for the levers,'and to interlock with the lovers said bar being so disposed as to cause its intermediate portion to form a toggle with the inner end portion of each lever with the knee joints of the toggles offset relatively to the line of pressure between the valve and the abutment, said member and the levers extending outwardly from their toggle portions in openly spaced relation, and fusible links connecting said levers to the bar to hold the outer ends of the leversand the bar normally against separation.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with means providing an outlet for fluid and a valve for the outlet, of an abutment over the valve, a pair of levers, one acting upon the valve to hold it closed and the other bearing against the abutment, a bar extending between said levers in transverse relation to the axis of the outlet and having projections on its opposite sides constructed to provide fulcrums for the levers, said bar and the levers extending outwardly from the fulcrum points in openly spaced relation, and fusible connections between the bar and the outer end portions of said levers for holding the bar and the levers normally in valve retaining position.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with means providing an outlet for fluid and a valve for the outlet, of an abutment over the valve, a pair of levers extending outward respectively at opposite sides of the device and arranged to act respectively upon the valve and upon the abutment, a bar extending between said levers in transverse relation to the axis of the outlet and having projections on the opposite sides of its intermediate portion to provide fulcrums for the respective levers, the bar being inclined to the axis of the outlet to position the fulcrum points of the levers respectively at opposite sides of said axis, and the levers extending outwardly from said fulcrum points in divergent relation to said bar, and fusible connections between the bar and said levers for holding the bar and the levers normally in valve retaining position.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with means providing an outlet for fluid and a valve, for the outlet, of an abutment over the valve, a pair of levers extending outward respectively at opposite sides of the device and arranged to act respectively upon the valve and upon the abutment, a bar extending between said levers in transverse relation to the axis of the outlet and in divergent relation to the outwardly extending portions of both levers, said bar being constructed and arranged to provide fulcrums for the levers at fixed distances from the ends of the bar, and fusible means connecting the outer end portions of the levers to the bar for holding the bar and the levers normally in valve retaining position. 7

10. In a device of the class described, the combination with means providing an outlet for fluid and a valve for the outlet, of

an abutment over the valve, a pair of levers extending outward respectively at opposite sides of the device and arranged to act respectively upon the valve and upon the abutment, a bar-extending between said levers in transverse relation to the axis of the outlet and arranged to provide-fulcrums for the levers with an open space between the the levers from sliding lengthwise of the bar, and fusible connections between the outer end portions of'the bar and the respective levers to hold the bar andthe levers normally in valve retaining position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. BENJAMIN F. MAYO. 

